For a designated historic property in the City of Orlando, first establish whether the proposed exterior paint change needs preservation review. The City’s minor-review service lists paint color where required. That wording does not make every repaint in the metro subject to the same approval. Give staff the address and intended change before relying on a general exemption. Minor-review service
Where paint-color review applies, prepare an existing photograph and paint chips identified by location. Those are the paint-specific entries in the City’s currently linked document matrix. A stack of attractive samples without their intended surfaces leaves the proposal ambiguous. Document matrix, page 2
Establish the property and the change
The preservation FAQ directs owners to the City’s GIS information for historic-property status. A newer house inside a designated district is not automatically outside review. Nor should an owner assume a rear elevation is exempt: review boundaries differ by district, and staff determines the applicable scope.
Describe whether you propose a color change alone or also changes to siding, windows or another exterior feature. Ask which review and attachments fit that actual proposal. This guide addresses the City of Orlando; Winter Park and unincorporated Orange County have their own authorities.
Label each chip with the surface it belongs to
Use the table below as LSL’s preparation worksheet. It expands the City’s chip-and-location request into a way to keep the proposed scheme consistent. It is not a City form or a claim that every listed field is mandatory.
| Surface you actually propose to paint | Existing photograph reference | Proposed chip identifier | Exact location and scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main wall or siding | Your photo/file reference | Brand, color name and code from the actual sample | Which elevations and which wall material? |
| Trim | Your photo/file reference | Separate trim sample identifier | Which window surrounds, fascia or other trim? |
| Door, shutters or another feature | Your photo/file reference | Sample identifier for that feature | Name the feature and whether it changes color |
Add rows only for features that exist at the property and are in the proposal. If two elevations use different schemes, label them separately. Avoid a generic “white trim” note when the sample has a specific identifier. Keep unchanged surfaces identified as unchanged so an estimator does not include them by assumption.
Before sending the proposal, compare the worksheet with the photographs and the scope you gave the painter. Each chip should have a location, and each proposed surface should have a chip reference. Preserve that same set for later comparison with the written decision. Product suitability and safe preparation of existing coatings need their own qualified assessment; a color submission does not settle those questions.
Complete the submission after uploading
The two-page City handout, revised July 9, 2024 and still linked by the service page, distinguishes uploading attachments from submitting them for review. Follow the assigned ProjectDox task through its completion step; leaving files uploaded is not the same as returning the case to staff. Save the case number and submission confirmation with the sample-location sheet.
The service page describes an owner or authorized agent applying, then receiving project/upload instructions. Use those case-specific instructions. Initial contact and substantive review are different stages, so do not promise a work-start date from a single published turnaround figure.
Give the painter the decision and matching scheme
Preservation approval and any required building permit are separate decisions. Retain the written certificate and conditions, compare them with the sample sheet, and resolve differences before treating the proposed colors as the approved work. City explanation
If the project raises a separate construction-permit question, the Orlando permit-exemption guide explains why price alone does not decide that route. It does not replace the historic-property review.
Reporting basis
On October 28, 2026 UTC, LSL compared the City’s service page, relevant FAQ answers and both native pages of its linked matrix. The worksheet is our synthesis. We did not inspect a property, test an applicant account, submit a proposal or obtain a color approval. No image or private case record is republished.